China, Russia may delay U.N. resolution  —  UNITED NATIONS - Despite winning key concessions, Russia and China raised new objections that could delay a vote Saturday on a U.N. Security Council resolution imposing punishing sanctions on North Korea for its claimed nuclear test.

Democratic Faces That Could Launch Thousands of Votes  —  With a Parade of Attractive Candidates, the Party May Benefit From the Politics of Beauty  —  AUBURN, N.Y. — Maybe Democratic candidate Michael Arcuri is running strong in this Republican House district because he pledges to expand health coverage …

How Bad Will It Be?  —  The GOP debacle to come.  —  REPUBLICANS and conservatives, brace yourselves!  Strategists and consultants of both parties now believe the House is lost and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi will become speaker.  At best, Republicans will cling to control of the Senate by a single seat, two at most.

Gay Marriage Losing Punch as Ballot Issue  —  The debate over same-sex marriage was a black-or-white proposition two years ago when voters in 11 states barred gay couples from marrying.  —  But this year shades of gray are everywhere, as eight more states consider similar ballot measures.

Ethics panel holds talks with Reid  —  Senate leader seeks to detail investment  —  WASHINGTON — Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid said this week that he is in discussions with the Senate ethics committee to determine whether he should amend his financial disclosure forms to include details …

Charlie Cook's National Overview  —  Category 5 Hurricane Heads for House GOP  —  Let's get the disclaimer out of the way: there are 25 days between now and the November 7 election and things could well change, making what follows obsolete.  —  That said, this is without question …

SEAL falls on grenade to save comrades  —  CORONADO, Calif. - A Navy SEAL sacrificed his life to save his comrades by throwing himself on top of a grenade Iraqi insurgents tossed into their sniper hideout, fellow members of the elite force said.  —  Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor …

GOP Firing Back?  —  Campaign: As Democrats refuse to let up on former Rep. Mark Foley, some Republicans are returning fire.  But they'll have to do a lot more fighting back if they want to win on Election Day.  —  Time and again Democrats prove themselves to be ferocious street fighters, especially in campaign season.

New Calls by Hamas Militants to Target the U.S.  —  Washington's efforts to isolate and topple the Islamist government is amplifying calls from its more extreme element to abandon its reluctance to directly attack U.S. interests  —  Commanders of the military wing of Hamas …

Press Briefing by Tony Snow  —  White House Conference Center Briefing Room  —  MR. SNOW: One brief announcement and then questions.  The announcement, the President and Mrs. Bush will welcome Their Majesties King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden to the White House on October 23, 2006.

POLL OMENS GRIM  —  Last night, I wrote a relatively optimistic post about the fundamental strength of the Republicans' position going into the election.  Take a look, though, at the poll results from yesterday and the day before, compiled at Real Clear Politics.

New Law Cripples Internet Gambling  —  Banks Are Barred From Handling Transactions  —  Placing bets over the Internet was effectively criminalized by the federal government yesterday, as lawmakers work to eliminate an activity enjoyed by as many as 23 million Americans who wagered an estimated $6 billion last year.

Dalai Lama sees Pope, says few Muslims "mischievous"  —  ROME (Reuters) - The Dalai Lama said after meeting Pope Benedict on Friday that "a few mischievous Muslims" should not be allowed to give the Islamic faith a bad name.  —  Muslims worldwide were offended by a speech by the Pope …

"Media Matters"; by Jamison Foser  —  Quote of the [Week] Year … The Note's faith-based defense of the Bush administration  —  In the latest in a series of scathing criticisms of the Bush White House from its former employees, David Kuo, the former deputy director of the administration's office …

SO WHEN I WAS AT THE MALL THE OTHER DAY, I saw that Eddie Bauer had a prominent display featuring this Disaster Emergency Kit for 2.  It's not bad, especially for a car or apartment, though I'd certainly want to supplement it.  —  But what struck me more than the kit itself was the prominence of the display.

Iraqi Colonel Who Bridged Sectarian Divide Is Killed  —  Operating between the insurgent Sunni Arab suburbs of Baghdad and the Shiite militia-dominated south, Col. Salam al-Mamuri and his Scorpion commando team were a rarity among Iraqi security forces, American and Iraqi colleagues said …